Imagine if you never had to walk into an office again. You didn’t have a job, and the government gave you a check every month that enabled you to live pretty comfortably. What would you do? How would you spend your time and gain fulfillment?

Could the world even come to this?

It could happen. Not because of government policy, but due to technology. We are entering a time when computer can perform basic tasks far more effectively than humans – and for a fraction of the cost. It is likely that we all cars and trucks will be self driven in ten years. What will those truck drivers do for a good income? Does McDonald’s need to employ as many people if a computer can take orders and a robot can flip burgers? Do banks really need analysts if AI can output research reports and build financial models?

In my EdTech Landscape I talked about the trend of continuing education, and the need to keep skills sharp and relevant. The skills gap in our country is huge. There are 13 positions for every 5 employees in tech fields. We don’t have enough workers to fill all of the open positions. And corporations spend over $160 billion/ year in training their employees.

The CEO of AT&T believes that if you’re not learning at least 5 hours a week you won’t have the skills to keep up with the changing pace of work.

Those workers who aren’t learning are going to be in the growing portion of legacy workers who can’t provide value in the digital economy. They’ll be the ones who get a nominal minimum income to keep afloat when the job they relied on is automated.

How are you learning every week?

This post was inspired, in part, by a book I’ve been reading lately – World After Capital. Check it out.